Matthew Terry gets emotional on first day of murder trial in girlfriend's stabbing death
TAMPA, Fla. - A Lithia man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death in May got emotional on the first day of trial. Matthew Terry was charged with first-degree murder, accused of killing Kay Baker after flying into a jealous rage.
During opening arguments, prosecutors said Baker was nearly decapitated. At times, some evidence appeared to bring Terry to tears.
Prosecutors said Baker, an elementary school math teacher, believed she would survive a fight with her boyfriend, but she didn't.
"She had been stabbed multiple times she had been cut multiple times," Prosecutor Justin Diaz said.
On Friday, May 27, Baker sent one last text message to a friend, letting her know her argument with boyfriend, Terry, was over.
"It says: 'lol Sorry for that. So dumb. All good now.' That’s at 11:56 that’s within 30 minutes of Kay Baker being found dead in her neighbor’s yard," explained Diaz.
Prosecutors said her killer was her live-in boyfriend, Terry. They said Terry flew into a jealous rage after he accused Baker of dancing with another man at a bar.
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They said she denied it and thought the clash was over, but minutes after that, she sent the text, and neighbors like Jonathan Figgins would hear screams and a loud thump.
"I thought it was someone drunk passed out on my lawn, so I tried calling 'hey, you okay?' No response," recalled Figgins.
Hillsborough County Public Defender Jennifer Spradley told the jury there is no video, no eyewitness of the murder and just a lot of speculation from prosecutors.
"Once you hear all of the evidence, and you put all the pieces together, and you hold the state to their burden in this case you will find that Mr. Terry is not guilty of the murder of Kay Baker," argued Spradley.
The trial is expected to last the entire week. If convicted, a jury could recommend a death sentence. This comes after acting Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez took the stand to defend her decision to seek the death penalty in the case. The judge at the time ruled the death penalty would remain in the case.
The trial is expected to last the entire week.